Hit or Miss
by avcos
Summary: When the whole gang team up to get Levy and Gajeel alone, will it be sparks or bottles that start flying? Band AU, because of course Gajeel would be a muso
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This thing has been sitting in my notebook for probably a year now, so I'm finally getting it typed out anduploaded.**  
 **THIS WHOLE FIC IS BASICALLY JUST LEMONS, CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED! Damned plot bunnies came to me while I was listening to the Hits album by NFG, so if you want the full experience, put that on in the background. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!**

"Come on, Levy!" Lucy held the door to the bar open for her friend, who was definitely taking her time.  
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She called, gingerly climbing the damp stairs in her spike heels. "Why couldn't I just stay at home?"  
Lucy just smiled, grabbing her reluctant friend and quickly dragging her to the bar to order their drinks as the strains of a guitar being tuned could be heard over the buzz of the packed bar. Levy turned to the stage, eyes growing wide as she saw exactly who the band was

"Lucy!" Levy hissed at her friend, face flushing. "You knew? And you still dragged me here?" She was furious, because on the stage in front of her were some faces from her past, including **him**.  
Lucy just smiled innocently, waving to the pink haired guitarist. "Of course, you never would have agreed to come if I told you!" Grabbing her still blushing friend, Lucy made her way over to the stage, dragging Levy along with her. "Let's go say hi!"  
Levy just groaned, steeling herself for what was about to happen as they reached the small stage  
"Natsu! Told you we'd make it" Lucy said brightly as she leant up to quickly kiss the pinkette.  
"Never doubted you, Luce" he said, wrapping his arms around the smaller blonde. "Hey Levy, long time no see. Love the hair".  
Levy smiled back, self-consciously touching her cropped blue hair. "Hey Natsu. It's great to see you again!" She laughed awkwardly as she shrugged. "Liberal arts college will do that to you"  
The trio were saved from any further awkwardness when a tiny woman with long indigo hair launched herself at Levy with a high pitched squeal.  
"Levy!" She tackled the petite bluenette, wrapping her arms firmly around Levy's waist.  
Levy laughed, gladly returning the tight hug. "Wendy! I'm so happy to see you!"  
The smaller woman pulled back, smoothing down her top. "We're about to start". She squeezed Levy's hands as she saw their lead singer making his way over to them. "We'll catch up later!" With that, Wendy skipped off just as a tall, raven haired man stepped into Levy's view.  
"Gajeel" she breathed.

He looked good. Better than she remembered, actually. Tall and heavily muscled, his hair had grown out, sitting well down his back. Levy caught herself wondering to herself if it would be soft against her fingers. Shaking herself free of her thoughts, she offered him a small smile when her enormous amber eyes met his crimson ones.  
"Hi".  
"Gihee, hey Shrimp"  
Levy's heart stuttered at the use of the old nickname. "You look good, Gajeel. The new jewellery suits you" She gently touched her own lip, wondering if her knew that her own piercings were done with him in mind.  
"I like the hair. Can we, you know, talk? Later?"  
Levy just nodded. "Break a leg"

-  
 **A/N: I know, my first chapters are always short. I'M SORRY! Hopefully I can get the rest of this typed and uploaded soon for you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I know, another short one. I'm sorry! It's killing me trying to type this whole thing up on a laptop that's almost as old as I am.  
** **The song Gajeel and Levy are singing in this chapter is (surprisingly) called "I don't wanna know" by New Found Glory.  
** **As always, reviews motivate me to keep slugging away at all this typing!**

Levy had collected Lucy, and they'd taken their seats at the bar along with their friends. She was trying to focus on the conversation happening around her, answering questions whenever they were directed at her, but her attention kept wandering back to the band currently performing, and more specifically, their lead singer.  
She was shocked to see Gray, their keyboardist, jump down from the stage and dart over to their group. He smiled quickly at his girlfriend, before grabbing a very shocked Levy and tugging her along behind him.  
"Gray! What are you…"  
"Just trust me, and get up there" he interrupted her protest, quickly pulling her up to stand at the back of the stage.

"We have a treat for you all tonight" Gajeel spoke into the microphone, looking out into the crowd. "The woman who co-wrote the song that started it all is here tonight. Should we see if we can get her to help us out?" The crowd cheered, and Levy could hear her friends hollering, as Gajeel turned to her with a soft smile. "Please?"  
The request was so quiet, she almost missed it. Levy never could say no to him, so she reached out and took his hand. It was soft against her skin, the fingers strong and calloused from years of playing. It felt warm, and right, and Levy had to stop herself from pouting when he pulled free to hand her a microphone.

Levy closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths as she stepped forward to stand level with Gajeel, her nerves making her hands shake as the familiar chords sounded. She tapped her foot in time, and felt her nerves completely dissipate when he smiled at her. Inhaling, she replaced the microphone in its stand and, wrapping her hands around the stand, she started to sing.

 _"Your eyes were covered in sunglasses when they first met mine. I sat there and stared at you, you didn't seem to mind"  
_ It was their song, their story together. Levy could feel her repressed memories come rushing back as Gajeel stepped up to sing in harmony with her.  
 _"The awkward ways we meet. First comes heavy breathing, staring at the ceiling. What will happen next, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know"_.  
Levy stood back slightly as Gajeel started singing _"I never cared how I dressed before, but I cared that night. Anticipation ran through my bones, and my clothes never fit right".  
_ She felt like a teenager all over again, the awkwardness of being smaller and younger than everyone, the thrill of being noticed. And Levy noticed, just as she had the first time, just how attractive Gajeel was, causing her heart to skip a beat. She took a steadying breath, wrapping her hands around the microphone as she began to sing.  
 _"I can't wait till we meet again. First comes heavy breathing, staring at the ceiling. What will happen next, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know"_.  
Levy took a deep breath, hands tightening further on the microphone, her knuckles going white as she sang through her memories.  
 _"Framed pictures start to be put on the walls, constant visits while I'm out on the road. It's hard to leave sometimes, but you know where I lay my head at night"_.  
She found herself blinking away tears as she remembered their relationship from those days. Gajeel and the band on tour, flying visits whenever she had a break from school or work. She'd cherished those stolen moments, the quick taste of him keeping her sane on cold nights when she was alone. Shaking her head clear of her thoughts, she stepped up, ready to sing out her feelings.  
 _"First comes heavy breathing, staring at the ceiling. What will happen next, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know"_.  
The last strains rang out from Natsu's guitar, and the crowd was suddenly cheering and whistling. Levy turned to leave, but was stopped by a large hand on her arm.  
"Thank you" was all Gajeel said, his voice rough and quiet enough that no one else would have heard. Levy smiled in response, and leant up to kiss his cheek.  
"Come find me later". And with that, she was off, weaving her way back to the bar and the safety of her friends through the cheers and high fives of the crowded club

 **A/N: Next chapter should be up tonight, and be a bit longer (I hope!)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is it! The song that wormed its way into my brain and wouldn't leave until I had an entire journal worth of fiction.  
Song is "Hit or Miss" by New Found Glory.**

The rest of the night passed in a blur, Levy focused mostly on the scotch and dry in front of her, ignoring the remarks from the other patrons. Thankfully, her friends knew to leave her to process her feelings in peace. And then the band announced their last song.  
"This one is for someone special, I hope they know who they are". Gajeel drawled, locking his eyes with Levy. "Sorry I waited so long".  
Levy's eye's went wide as they started to play.

 _"The needle on my record player has been wearing thing. This record has been playing since the day you left with him".  
_ **Oh no** , Levy thought to herself. **He can't have written a song about** **that** **.** She swallowed audibly as all their friends heads swiveled to look pointedly at her.  
 _"No more long rides home, no more of your station. I didn't like it anyway"._  
She blushed, remembering all the times in school, before he got his license, that he would her home just to steal a kiss at the front gate. She looked up to find his crimson eyes locked on her face, stealing all the breath from her body.  
 _"Remember the time we wrote our names up on the wall? Remember the time we realised Thriller was our favourite song?"  
_ Levy couldn't help the small smile that stretched across her face - he was definitely singing about their relationship, no doubt about it.  
 _"Have I waited too long? Have I found that someone? Have I waited too long to see you?"  
_ She couldn't tear her eyes away from his. His usual stage presence had been stripped away, leaving him standing completely still, looking open and vulnerable to her eyes. It was completely at odds with the fast pace of the song.  
 _"Maybe its for the best. Maybe it's not for anything. It wouldn't be so bad, to take this right from me".  
_ She had known he'd taken their breakup badly, but looking at the barely concealed hurt in his eyes, Levy could practically feel the pain rolling off him in waves.  
 _"No more long rides home, no more of your station. I didn't like it anyway. Remember the time we wrote our names up on the wall? Remember the time we realised Thriller was our favourite song?"  
_ Levy picked up her glass with shaking hands, feeling incredibly self-conscious that he had penned a song about their relationship, and was now performing it in a bar in front of, not only her, but also all their friends. She quickly drained her glass - Levy had a hunch she was going to need all the courage she could get, liquid or not.  
 _"Have I waited too long? Have I found that someone? Have I waited too long to see you?"  
_ Levy smiled at Mira as she set a fresh drink down in front of her with a wink.  
 _"How many times I've tried. It's simple to you, so simple to lie. How many times I've tried, blatant mistakes of your design".  
_ The bluenette gasped audibly at the anger behind his words. Was that really how he felt about her? She risked a glance back at his face, and saw only sadness and regret in his deep crimson eyes.  
 _"Have I waited too long? Have I found that someone? Have I waited too long to see you?"  
_ Gajeel shook some stray locks of hair out of his eyes, smirking when he saw Levy being to unconsciously play with her lip ring.  
Levy flushed at the smirk, feeling heat pooling in her belly at the familiar expression.  
 _"I've had so many chances. Turn my back and run away. I've had so many chances to see you"._

The bluenette blinked as the song ended, surprised to feel wetness on her cheeks. Gajeel mouthed something at her - she thought it looked like 'I'm sorry' before turning away. Levy took a deep breath and downed her drink in one mouthful, before sliding carefully off her stool and dashing into the, thankfully empty, ladies room. Splashing cold water on her face, she cleaned up her slightly smudged eyeliner and looked herself dead in the eye in the slightly grimy mirror. **'Quit being a wimp, McGarden. Get out there and show them how much you've grown!'** Satisfied with her reflection, she squared her shoulders and strode back out into the bar.

"Hey Mira, let me take those up" she called to the blonde behind the bar, snagging the tray of drinks to take to the band, who were currently in the process of packing up, now that the majority of the bars patrons had moved on for the night. "Natsu" she handed off the guitarists fire whisky. "Some things never change"  
Natsu just smiled as he took the glass from her. "And some things change a lot". He waved his hand to encompass her figure.  
Levy just smiled, moving to deliver the rest of the drinks, leaving them on amps and stands for the rest of the band.

"Levy!" Lucy's voice was bright as she called to her friend, currently en route back to the bar with a now empty tray.  
"Yes, Lu?" Levy groaned inwardly, even as she kept her voice happy, dreading what the blonde was about to say.  
"Well, Natsu's finished loading his gear, so we're going to head out. Will you be okay getting home?"  
She knew it! Her traitorous friends were determined to get her and Gajeel alone together! Hiding her annoyance, Levy just smiled at her friends. "Of course! It's only around the corner. Go! And don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She laughed, and with a wink, pushed them towards the door.

Levy turned back, taking up her seat at the now empty bar, gladly accepting the cold beer from Mira. She would have been happy to just sit quietly, nursing her drink until last call, but Wendy had other ideas, and came bounding over next to her.  
"Levy! I haven't seen you in YEARS! Tell me EVERYTHING!"  
Levy couldn't help but smile, Wendy's enthusiasm was as infectious as ever. "I know, I'm sorry. But after everything, well, you know..." At Wendy's understanding nod, she took a breath and continued. "Well, I finished school and did some travelling. Got my degree in linguistics, masters in anthropology. Now I'm waiting to hear about my phD, sent my dissertation in a few weeks back".  
"Wow! And I had to get my high school diploma via correspondence!" Both girls laughed at that, until Wendy wiggled her eyebrows at the older bluenette. "And boys?"  
Levy blushed, taking a deep drink from the bottle in her hands to try and disguise it. "Uh, not really. I actually haven't had a real relationship since..." She trailed off, using her beer bottle to gesture over her shoulder at the stage where Gajeel was finishing the bands bump out.  
"Ah! Well, neither has he. I don't think he's had anyone at all, if you know what I mean". Wendy giggled, grinning when a young man appeared next to her. "Romeo! This is Levy". Wendy slid off her stool, moving to wrap her arms around the boy. "Lev, this is my Romeo" She glanced over Levy's shoulder, spying Gajeel heading in their direction. "And we're going!" She kissed Levy's cheek, before dragging Romeo off with her. "Call me!" She yelled before disappearing.

 **A/N: Next time, they finally talk! What's going to happen?  
We're getting closer to lemony goodness with every chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here we go, they're finally talking! No song behind this chapter, for once.  
I hope you enjoy!**

Gajeel stood silently next to Levy as she finished her drink. "Levy..." he started as soon as the bottle hit the bar top.  
She silenced him with a look. "Not here". She stood, pulling on her leather jacket. "Come on".  
She sounded more confident than she felt as she waved her goodbye to Mira and headed towards the exit, without looking back to see if he was following. She shivered as she stepped out into the night air, cold in comparison to the heat inside the bar. Wrapping her arms around herself, she heard Gajeel come down the steps behind her. Nodding at him, she set off towards her place.

They walked the short distance in silence, both too scared to say anything and potentially ruin the peace with another of their legendary screaming matches.  
Levy stopped in front of a tidy townhouse, fumbling with her keys until she got the front door open. She flicked on lights as she walked through the place, kicking her heels off as she went. "Make yourself at home!" She called, heading to the fridge before reappearing with two beers. "Sorry about the mess"  
Gajeel sat back on the couch, taking in all the books and papers spread about the place. "Still in school?" He enquired, taking the beer from her outstretched hand.  
Levy shook her head, quickly gathering everything into a messy pile. "Just turned in my thesis, actually. I was going to clean tonight, but Lu dragged me out, and now here we are".  
Gajeel studied her face for a moment. "Do you wish you'd stayed home?"  
She shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, this is insanely awkward, but it's really good to see you. I, uh, miss you, actually".  
Gajeel sat, stunned. "Yeah, you too". He chuckled slightly. "You sure have changed though" he said, gesturing to her spiky blue hair, long chocolate brown the last time he'd seen her.  
Levy giggled nervously. "Yeah, it's been a while. I like it though, I like all of it".  
"Well, I never thought I'd see little Levy McGarden with bright blue hair and facial piercings. The new wardrobe suits you too" he muttered.  
They were thankfully saved from any more awkward conversation by a very loud meow at Gajeel's feet.  
"Lily?" He asked incredulously, leaning over and picking up the lithe black cat. The same scar over one eye, and the oddly round ears were the same, there was no mistaking the tiny kitten he had gifted to Levy for company when the band started touring. "You still have him?"  
Levy giggled as she watched Gajeel interact with the fully grown version of the kitten he'd given her all those years ago. "Of course! He's the best housemate I've ever had".  
Satisfied that the strange man in his house was no one to worry about, Lily curled up next to Gajeel and promptly fell asleep.

The silence in the room was stifling, and they both opened their mouth at the same time.  
"Levy, listen..."  
"Gajeel, I..."  
Causing them both to burst out laughing, completely destroying the tension between them.  
"You go" Levy offered, settling into the corner of the couch, beer resting between her crossed legs.  
Gajeel turned to face her, taking a deep breath. "Thanks for getting up there tonight, I didn't think you would. It was good to sing together again".  
"Just like old times, huh?" She smiled reassuringly at him.  
"Yeah, something like that. And listen, I'm, you know, sorry. About that last song"  
"Don't be" Levy reached out and touched his shoulder gently, feeling the familiar strength under his shirt. There was that warm feeling in her belly again. "Caught me by surprise, is all. It's a good song".  
Gajeel smiled softly at her, turning his attention back to his drink to hide the warmth on his cheeks.  
"Gajeel, I... I just wanted you to know I'm sorry, for you know, everything. And you were never the problem. We were so young, and so different, and I was so naive... I just, I want you to be, you know, happy".

The silence stretched out heavily between them. Sensing the tension, Lily quietly leapt from his spot to take refuge in another room.  
Levy sighed, stretching her legs out in front of her until her toes were almost touching Gajeel's leg. "So, what's next for the band?"  
Thankful for the change in subject, Gajeel smiled slightly. "We're actually going to be around for a while. Everyone's sick of life on the road, for now. And the label wants a new album".  
"Oh! Well that's good". Levy poked his thigh with her foot. "Don't look so glum! Magnolia's not so bad. I mean, I know I just moved back myself, but so far I don't hate it". She offered him a smile, and her breath caught in her chest when he returned it. "So, uh, some of the piercings are new. What prompted those?" Levy groaned inwardly. _Seriously, Levy, he's sitting right there and you asked him about his jewelry? You're a moron._ She scolded herself.  
Gajeel just shrugged, oblivious to her internal monologue. "Seemed like a good idea at the time? And dermals are a pain to remove, figured it was easier to just leave 'em". His fingers were itching to touch her, and when she squirmed underneath his gaze, Gajeel noticed something peaking out from underneath the hem of her skinny jeans.

Before either of them could stop him, Gajeel had put his warm hands on her feet - Levy had to hold back a moan at his touch - and he was pulling her jeans up her leg.  
"Ha! Never thought I'd see the day! Levy McGarden, is that a tattoo?" He laughed quietly, a real laugh, and traced his finger over the ink on the inside of her ankle. "It's very well done" he complimented. "What is it?"  
Levy giggled, rotating her leg so he could see it fully as she explained. "Tzeltalan. It's the phonetic glyph for 'it will happen'". She laughed harder at his thoroughly confused expression. "It's the Mayan symbol for patience" she simplified.  
"Well why didn't ya just say so?" Gajeel teased, fingers softly stroking the skin around her tattoo.  
Levy shivered at the sensation, enjoying the touch of his calloused fingers. "Sorry, force of habit".  
"Right..." he drawled, not quite believing her. "So what exactly is your PhD?"  
"Anthropological linguistics". She sputtered in laughter at the complete lack of recognition on his face.  
"Hey! It's not nice to laugh Shrimp. Not everyone is a genius like you".  
Levy's heart skipped a beat at the use of the old nickname. Odd, she used to hate it. "It's the study of the relationships between language, culture, human biology and cognition" she recited from memory, simplifying even further when he blinked owlishly at her, not fully comprehending. "It's how language affects people. My field of research is mostly on ancient civilizations, like the Mayans or the Aztecs, and how language affected their culture and evolution." She gestured at the ankle he was still holding.  
"Oh, I get it" Gajeel joked. "I don't get it, but you always were smart".  
Levy blushed at the compliment, her creamy skin flushing a dusky pink. She coughed, reluctantly pulling away from his touch. "Another?" She stood, waving her empty bottle.  
"Sure, whatever you're pouring". Gajeel settled back onto the couch, fingertips still tingling from where he had been touching her. He sighed, taking the opportunity to look around the flat.

It was sparsely decorated, no pictures or art on the walls. He could see the small kitchen, where Levy was currently reaching up into one over the overhead cabinets. To the right was an open door that looked like it lead into Levy's bedroom. On the left was another door, partially open to reveal a mattress on the floor and piles of unopened boxes. Perpendicular was what Gajeel assumed was a bathroom, given that he could see the edge of a bathtub.  
His study of her house was interrupted when Levy sat back down, setting two glasses on the coffee table in front of him and opening what looked - and smelt- like a very expensive bottle of scotch. She poured a good amount of the amber liquid into each glass. Gajeel took the proffered glass from her, feeling the soft skin of her fingers brush against his callouses.  
"Never had you pegged as a scotch drinker".  
Levy just smiled wistfully at him. "It's been a long time, 'Jeel". _Ugh, Levy! Get it together!_ She scolded herself over the use of her old pet name for him.

The next hours passed peacefully, the freely poured alcohol helping to smooth over their earlier awkwardness, letting them catch up as a pair of old friends and spend the time regaling each other with stories from their years apart.

"And that's how we found them the next morning!" Gajeel was openly laughing as he recounted how the band had discovered Gray and Juvia were an item.  
Levy was wiping tears from her eyes as he finished his story. "What about you?" She'd asked before she'd even realised what she'd said. "I mean, you don't... I shouldn't have asked that. Sorry".  
Gajeel stared straight down into the amber liquid swirling in his glass. "No, it's alright. There, uh, hasn't really been, uh, anyone. No one, actually. Not since, you know".  
Levy wondered if maybe Wendy had been telling the truth. Gajeel looked up at her. "How about you?"  
It was Levy's turn to awkwardly contemplate the bottom of her glass. _How much should I tell him? Does he want numbers? Should I tell him they were all one night stands?_ Gajeel could practically see the cogs turning in her mind.  
"Hey, you don't have to... Sorry, that was rude of me"  
"No, it's fine. Never anything serious, and nothing at all for a long time" Levy went with vague, figuring that if Gajeel wanted details, he'd probably ask for them. She drained the rest of her glass, missing the slight slump of his shoulders as she attempted to avoid any follow up questions. "Oh! Do you remember Jet and Droy?"  
"You mean the two kids who followed you everywhere? How could I forget".  
"Well, remember how you guys used to tease them for never having girlfriends?"  
Gajeel just nodded in response.  
"Well, turns out they were seeing each other the whole time. And now they're getting married!" Levy burst out in giggles, the alcohol going to her head, which caused the sullen man to start laughing too.  
"That certainly explains a lot!" He managed to snort out in between chuckles. "And to think Loke used to to get jealous whenever they were hanging around you and Lucy. Hey, whatever happened to that guy?"  
Levy shrugged. "No idea, they broke up when he left for university".  
Gajeel snorted as he drained his glass. "Never liked the guy anyway. Natsu and Lucy are much better for each other".  
Levy feigned disbelief. "Gajeel Redfox has an opinion on someone's love life? I wonder if there are pigs in the sky right now?" She laughed as she got up to check, promptly falling over when he feet refused to co-operate, numb after being tucked underneath her for so long.

 **A/N: Stopping here, because next chapter is just smut XD  
** **Remember, reviews are crack for authors!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: THIS WHOLE CHAPTER IS JUST PURE LEMONY GOODNESS! You've been warned. Feel free to skip ahead if smut isn't your thing, nothing important plot-wise happens here. Otherwise, ENJOY!**

Gajeel's face appeared in front of her, concern evident in his slightly unfocused eyes.  
"You right there, Shrimp?"  
Levy blinked owlishly at him. Whether it was the scotch, or the sleep deprivation, Levy didn't know, and she found she didn't care. She reached out a hand, softly caressing his cheek. Goddamn it she had missed this man, with his chiseled features and blood boiling red eyes. As he gently leant into her touch, Levy thought to herself _fuck it_ , threaded her other hand into his dark mane and hesitantly pressed her lips to his.

Gajeel stopped for a moment, unsure if he was actually kissing Levy or if he was so drunk he'd started hallucinating again. When she moaned quietly against him, Gajeel knew this was real and the leash he had on his self-control snapped. One large hand found its way to her waist, crushing her tight against his chest, the other buried itself into the soft curls at the base of her neck, angling her head just right for him to deepen the kiss.  
At his reaction, Levy softly sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, nibbling playfully before laving it with her tongue.  
Gajeel's moan was strangled in his throat. _Jesus, she's better than I remember,_ he thought, praying to a god he didn't believe in that it was his memory failing, that no one else had touched his girl like this.  
Levy shuddered as his tongue danced against her own. She tasted scotch, and something faintly metallic. The part of her brain still working reminding her that's the way Gajeel tastes.

Panting and breathless, they broke apart. Levy's fingers gently tracing his jaw, playing along the slight stubble she felt; across the metal studs filling in as eyebrows, and down his sculpted nose - her brain trying to commit him to memory, in case she woke up and this was all a dream.  
"Levy" he breathed, pulling her back into another searing kiss. Sure, they had history. And problems – they had entire buses full of those. But Gajeel figured, it could all wait until tomorrow. Because right now, his Levy was back in his arms and he never wanted to let her go.  
When they finally broke apart for air, Levy stood on shaky legs and held out her hand.  
"Bedroom. Now."  
Her tone left no room for argument, and Gajeel marveled again at just how different the woman in front of him was. His Levy from years ago was loving, sure – but she was also timid and shy. The woman standing in front of him now, with her chest heaving, knew what she wanted and how to get it. The thought had him throbbing in anticipation of what was to come. In his daze, he'd followed her blindly to her bedroom, snapping abruptly out of his thoughts when she turned on a lamp, bathing the room in soft light, and his breath caught in his throat as she pulled the shirt over her head

Levy turned, smiling at him as she began unbuttoning her jeans, slowly revealing the matching lace panties. She silently thanked Lucy, again, for throwing out all her mismatched underwear when she saw the look of raw hunger in his eyes. She laughed, trying and failing to pull off the tight denim.  
"Gajeel? Little help here?"  
Her husky voice snapped him out of his trance and, shedding his own shirt, he moved to kneel at her feet, taking in the way her eyes sparkled at the sight of him. Easing her back onto the bed, he lifted her hips and slowly slid the tight jeans down her legs, and tossed them over his shoulder. His hands slid up the creamy expanse of skin, lips dropping to press kisses at her ankle, slowly working his way up her body.  
Gajeel watched he face as he sucked his mark into her hip, looking for any trace of uncertainty in her eyes. Instead, the desire he saw shining there made his breath catch.  
Levy smiled down at him, reaching to pull him upright, her hands fumbling with the latch of his belt. She soon had it, and his jeans undone, and was tugging them down his legs. When he was standing in front of her wearing nothing but a smirk, she moved further into the bed, holding the covers for him to slide in underneath.  
As Levy reached behind her, unclasping the lace and baring her chest to him, Gajeel couldn't help but stare. Her breasts had grown since he'd last laid eyes on them, and her peaks had settled into a dusky rose colour that had his mouth watering. What really caught his attention, though, was the fine metal bar threaded through her left nipple. Carefully, he reached out and caressed it, softly manipulating the metal.  
Levy couldn't contain herself – already sensitive, the piercing multiplied the sensation ten-fold.  
"Fuck!" She managed to hiss out before finding herself laid flat, Gajeel's lips latching onto her breast and her all rational thought flew out her head. Levy could only **feel** , her world constricting until there was only her, Gajeel and the pleasure he was delivering.  
Deftly, she hooked a leg around his hips and rocked her aching core against him. Gajeel groaned against her skin, lips leaving her chest and reattaching themselves to her lips.  
"Levy" he whispered, "tell me to stop".  
"Never."

Her moan rang in his ears, and his last shred of control vanished. Grabbing the slick fabric covering her core, he tore them from her body and flung them away.  
Blushing slightly from his actions, knowing he could practically smell her arousal, Levy took advantage of his momentary distraction and rolled them until he was underneath her. With a well-practiced roll of her hips, she had him sheathed inside of her, and she damn near screamed at the sensation.  
All those years, and nothing ever compared to the feel of him buried inside her.  
"Levy!" His hands on her hips stilled her movements, his voice shaky. "Should we?" He left the question unasked.  
Shaking her head, she smiled down at him. "I'm clean and we're safe. They're in the drawer if you want, though"  
 _Oh fuck it_ , Gajeel thought to himself, _we're here now_. And the last thing he wanted to do was stop. Instead, he pulled Levy down into his arms, rolling them over quickly and thrusting roughly into her welcoming body  
Levy was certain she'd melted into a puddle. She couldn't think of anything other than the man nestled between her legs, couldn't do anything except hold on for dear life and **feel.** And oh god, did she feel. In next to no time, the warmth low in her belly exploded into an inferno - Levy felt the sensation all the way out to her fingertips and toes. Vision turning white, she threw her head back and **screamed** , inner walls clamping Gajeel in place.  
Gajeel eased her through her orgasm with shallow thrusts, gently rocking into her, peppering her neck and shoulder with kisses as she slowly regained her senses.  
Opening her eyes, she smiled lazily at the red eyes above her. "Wow' she breathed, and damn if Gajeel's ego didn't swell at that. He kissed her gently, moving to ease out of her.  
"Oh no, we're not done" Levy smirked, crossing her legs over his hips and effectively locking him in place.  
Gajeel moaned as he felt her flutter around him. "Well, what did you have in mind?"  
Levy's grin was positively wicked as she unhooked her legs, letting him slide free from her body. Rolling over, she pushed back on all fours and glanced over her shoulder at a very stunned looking Gajeel. She crooked an index finger at him as she whispered "come here and I'll show you".  
Gajeel felt the air rush out of his body at the sight before him, and he quickly sheathed himself inside her warmth in one quick thrust./p

Levy cried out – a mixture of pain and pleasure overcoming her at his rough movement. She'd forgotten just how big he was – no one else had ever come.  
Gajeel winced at the sound she'd made, kissing her shoulder blades in an attempt to soothe her.  
"I'm sorry" he whispered against her.  
Levy shook her head, moaning quietly when he twitched inside her. "I forgot how big you are. Just, go slow, yeah?"  
Gajeel gave an experimental push, delighting in the noises coming from the bluenette underneath him. He soon slid into an easy rhythm that reduced Levy into a writhing, mewling mess.  
She arched her back, pushing against him, trying to encourage him to go harder, faster – just anything more than he was currently doing.  
As her legs spread wider around him, Gajeel placed a hand between her shoulders and pushed, hard, so her elbows gave way, and her chest collapsed against the mattress. Satisfied with the new angle, Gajeel grasped her hips with his fingers – hard enough to bruise her pale skin – and roughly shoved his hips against hers.  
Taking the squeaky "oh!" as encouragement, Gajeel set a bruising pace, thrusting powerfully into her. Levy's back arched, thighs trembling as she chased her bliss.  
"Oh fuck! Gaj, pleeeease" she pleaded with him.  
Leaning down, Gajeel pinched a nipple between calloused fingers as he bit her shoulder.  
"Come for me, Lev" he growled into her ear, pride soaring as he heard her scream, her body bucking against him before going rigid.  
Her inner walls clamped around him when he suddenly felt a rush of warmth against his legs as Levy collapsed forward, her entire body twitching and convulsing.  
"Holy fuck Lev!" Gajeel gently cupped her mound, easing her through her climax with gentle pressure and careful strokes.

Levy slowly came back to her senses, Gajeel murmuring something softly into her ear. She felt odd, like her bones had been replaced with rubber, and there was a very satisfied throbbing between her **very** wet thighs. She squeaked – actually squeaked – when she realised exactly what had happened.  
"Oh God. I'm so sorry!" She blushed scarlet and turned her face away.  
"Why would you…" Gajeel trailed off as he realised. His bitterness that someone else had made **his** Levy feel that way was quickly replaced with anger that they'd ruined it for her. He sighed as he stroked her back, trying to keep his tone gentle.  
"Levy, hon, look at me" he smiled at her flushed cheeks. "Don't ever apologise. That was the hottest fucking thing I've ever seen. Don't let some idiot boy tell you different".  
Levy's cheeks ratcheted all the way up to crimson "Actually, it wasn't a guy…" She giggled as his eyes glazed over and he groaned, his softening member quickly hardening back to a full erection.  
"Goddamn it Shrimp. Don't be saying things like that – you'll give a man ideas" he growled against her hair as she rolled to face him.

Sitting up, Levy pushed his hips until he was laying flat on his back, throbbing member pointing to the ceiling. Shooting him a wicked look, she leant down and took his entire length into her mouth, swallowing as he hit the back of her throat. Gajeel jerked, shocked at her actions.  
"Jesus, fuck! Lev!" One large hand resting on her hip, the other fisted in the sheets beside him, clenching intermittently.  
Encouraged by his reaction, Levy hollowed her cheeks and began to suck as she bobbed her head, occasionally swirling her tongue around the sensitive head.  
"Oh fuck Lev! Let go" Gajeel implored her, knowing how much she used to hate the taste of him.  
To his surprise, she just winked at him, before swallowing him whole, sucking hard as she began to hum. The warmth of her mouth, the pressure she was applying, and the vibration of her moan was all too much for Gajeel to take, and he roared her name as he bucked into her, thick ropes shooting into her mouth. Panting heavily, he watched her delicately clean her lips, deliberately swallowing all of his release.  
"Jesus Shrimp. You're killing me" he groaned.  
Levy giggled, moving to kiss him. She could still taste the scotch on his breath, as well as the salty metallic taste of his essence, and the earthy flavour of her own release, and she found she was hoping he could taste it all too.

"Uh, 'Jeel?" she prodded the sleepy man beneath her. "We should clean up. Unless you **like** sleeping on wet sheets?" She giggled when he sighed and sat up. Standing on wobbly legs, Levy moved to the wardrobe, locating the clean sheets and throwing them at the rumpled looking man in her bed.  
Gajeel sighed as she winked at him, before stepping into her ensuite and closing the door – effectively locking him out. He ran a hand through his very disheveled hair, quickly rising and changing out the damp sheets. _Note to self – put down a towel next time_ , he thought to himself as he stripped the bed. _Better make that two_ , he amended when he saw just how much of a mess they'd made.  
Gajeel was just throwing the pillows and covers back onto the bed when the bathroom door opened, revealing Levy in all her still naked glory. Flicking off the light, she passed him a warm washcloth and a soft towel, climbing into the freshly made bed as he quickly cleaned himself.  
Tossing the cloth and the towel in the general direction of the laundry hamper, he climbed in beside Levy and gathered her in his arms when she reached to turn off the lamp, holding her close as they both drifted to sleep.  
"Hey, Shrimp?"  
"Mmm?"  
"Just how many piercings do you have?"  
"Go to sleep, Gajeel."

Gajeel nuzzled his face against her soft blue curls, relaxing as her breathing became deep and event.  
"Love you, Shrimp" he whispered into the darkness before sleep claimed him too.

 **A/N: Okay, I'm going to go hide for eternity after that...**  
 **Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, this was the last section I had pre-typed. Gotta go back to slogging it out now :-(**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Is it safe to come out now? Gosh, posting lemons makes me nervous!  
This chapter is basically just cotton candy, with a little bit of lemon, so consider yourselves warned.  
As usual, I own nothing (I wish!)**

"Levy! You up?" Lucy called brightly as she let herself into her friends house, closing the door behind her. She stooped, picking up the black cat who was currently weaving around her ankles. "Good morning Lily. Now, where's Lev? Is she still in bed?" she cooed at the purring creature in her arms as she made her way to her friends room. Sighing at the rumpled covers, she flicked on the roof light. "Levy! Time to get..." she trailed off at the sight of a tangled mess of raven hair appearing over the sheets.  
"Gajeel!" she squeaked. "I'll, uh, go start some coffee..." Lucy quickly turned tail and fled the bedroom, snapping the door closed behind her.

 _Well, that's new,_ Lucy thought to herself as she set about brewing a pot of strong coffee, tidying up the glasses and empty bottles from last night.  
"I mean, we wanted them to talk" the blonde chattered away to the black cat in her arms. "But wow, not even I expected this." Lucy chuckled at she picked up the empty bottle of scotch. "Well, that explains it!"  
Lily just meowed in agreement as the bedroom door opened and a very tired, very mussed looking Levy stepped out wearing yoga pants and an oversized university jumper, clicking the door shut behind her.  
"Ugh, not so loud Luce. What are you doing here?"  
"I wanted to check on you after last night. We kind of sprung that on you." Lucy shrugged, placing her hands on her hips and fixing her friend with a stern look. "Now, miss, exactly what is Gajeel Redfox doing in your bed?"  
Levy flushed bright red, taking a seat at the island bench. "Pour me some caffeine and I'll tell you."  
Lucy set a steaming mug in front of the disheveled bluenette, loading it up with milk and sugar just the way she knew her friend liked, before leaning over the island expectantly.  
Levy sipped the sweet coffee, sighing as it warmed her from the inside. "Well, after you left, I was talking with Wendy when he came over. I didn't want to have **that** conversation in the bar with Mira listening, so we came back here. We drank, we talked, and before I knew it, I was kissing him. And I'm sure you know what happened next."  
Lucy's eyes were sparkling, they'd always been her favourite couple. "Well, how was it? I need details!"  
Levy just fixed her friend with a look. "Honestly? Incredible. I mean, wow. But Lu..." she trailed off.  
"What, Lev? What is it?"  
"I tried so, so hard to forget everything. And we have so many problems. But I don't think I ever stopped loving him. And now he's had his fun, he'll leave, forget all about me. And I'll just be here, forever single with a million cats!"  
Lucy took her friends hands, squeezing them tightly. "First of all, you only have one cat. And secondly, they're not going anywhere. Natsu told me they're not touring for at least a year. And besides, I don't think I'm the person you need to talk to about this". She kissed Levy's cheek as the bedroom door creaked open. "Call me later. Morning, Gajeel!" she called over her shoulder as she let herself out.

The man in question padded softly over to the dejected looking woman nursing her coffee. He poured himself a mug, drinkly deeply as he watched her cheeks turn pink.  
Levy's breath faltered as she laid her eyes on the man in front of her. His jeans were slung sinfully low on his hips, exposing a tantalizing amount of skin. His shirtless torso was tempting her to touch him - smooth olive skin was stretched over incredible muscles, and silver studs glinted at his collar bones and on his sculpted forearms.  
"See something you like, Shrimp?" Gajeel winked at her, smiling when the pink on her cheeks bloomed scarlet. He laughed softly, moving to stand behind her with his chin resting on her shoulder. "Did you mean it? Those things you said to Lucy?"  
Levy nodded, knowing that he would feel it, because she was pretty sure that if she opened her mouth, there'd be no stopping the sobs she was currently suppressing.  
Gajeel sighed, drawing his arms tightly around her tiny frame. "I promise I won't give you any more cats." He felt her chest hitch with a giggle, spinning her around to face him.  
Gently, he cupped her still pink cheeks in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "I could never forget you, Lev. And I'm not going anywhere, not unless you tell me to" his voice wavered as he whispered to her. "Please, don't tell me to leave"  
Levy was stunned at his show of emotion. _Maybe, just maybe, he missed me as much as I missed him,_ she thought to herself. Bringing her own hands up, she grasped his fingers in her own.  
"Never" she breathed. "I, still... I love you, you big dummy".

Gajeel smiled at her declaration, his heart feeling as though it might burst with happiness.  
"My shrimp. I love you."  
Her smile was blinding, and he crushed his lips against hers, desperate to taste her happiness. In one smooth movement, he had her gathered into his arms and was retreating back to the nest of Levy's bed. He set her down gently, and began removing her clothes as her nimble fingers made short work of his jeans. A split second later, she was bare before him, and Gajeel was laying her back on the sheets, her blue hair spreading like a halo on the pillow.  
Levy reached out, intertwining their fingers as he rested between her open legs, her lips finding his in a soft kiss as his length sunk completely into her.  
This time, they were slow, the pace languorous as they exchanged kisses. She gently toyed with his hair, as his rough fingers stroked her wild blue locks away from her face.  
With a quiet moan, they reached their peaks together, eyes locked on each other as they rode out their bliss.

Sated, skin slightly damp from sweat, Gajeel rolled off her tiny body, pulling her close so her head rested over his heart. Softly, he ran his fingers through her silky hair, gently tugging loose the tangles he found as her delicate fingers traced patterns on his chest.  
"Gaj?" she raised her head to look at him. "We can do this, right? I mean, I know we have a history, and a heap of baggage, but we can make this work. Right? And when you go on tour, we can..."  
He stopped her with a finger against her lips. "You're thinking too much, Lev." He pulled her back down to rest on his chest, resuming running his hand through her hair. "We'll figure it out, yeabeh. One day at a time, and we'll do it together"  
Levy hummed happily against his skin, smiling as they both drifted back off to sleep.

Gajeel woke to the sound of something mewling at him. Opening his eyes, he squinted at the light streaming into the room, _damn it must be early afternoon already,_ he thought, before turning his attention to the small black face staring expectantly at him.  
"Lily?" The black cat meowed, as if responding to the question. Gajeel lifted an arm out from the tangled sheets to scratch behind one of Lily's rounded ears. "You got big, kitty". Lily purred at the attention, before curling up in a sunny spot.  
Gajeel stretched, swinging his legs free of the covers, bending to retrieve his jeans from the floor. Dressing, he scrolled through his phone to find 6 missed called and messages from Natsu, Wendy, Gray, Juvia and Lucy. Unlocking the device, he scrolled quickly through them.

Wendy - Be nice! And get Levy to call me! x

Juvia - I love the new Levy! Don't scare her off! x

Gray - Good luck ;-)

Lucy - Sorry about earlier! Come to dinner tonight? x

Natsu - left w Lucy. Don't come home for a while.

Natsu - All clear!

Natsu - Are you coming home tonight?  


Natsu - Wait. Are you Levy's?  


Natsu - Seriously?!

Natsu - Can I come to the wedding?

Natsu - Dude, it's like 11. Are you dead or having crazy sex?

Natsu - Lucy says you have to come to dinner tonight.

Natsu - Also that you look like you've been having crazy sex :-P

Gajeel smirked at his friends enthusiasm, before scooping up the black cat that was staring at him. Settling him across his naked shoulders, he scratched under Lily's chin. "Let's go find Levy".

Levy was standing in the kitchen, back pressed against the cupboard as she chatted quietly to Lucy.  
"No, he's still here" she winced at the squeal in her ear.  
 _"Great, bring him to dinner tonight!"  
_ "I don't know, Lu... It's probably going to be weird"  
 _"It'll be fine. 7 o'clock. Don't be late!"  
_ Levy put her phone down as the still shirtless Gajeel stepped into the room. She bit her bottom lip at the attractive sight, at least until his hair started twitching.  
"Uh, 'Jeel? What's wrong with your hair?" She couldn't hold in her laughter when Lily's paw darted out, trying to swat at the long dark hair.  
"Hey, it's not funny!"  
Levy burst out in a new fit of giggles. "Actually, it kind of is!" She moved over to him, and carefully removed Lily from behind the curtain of raven hair he was trying to hide behind. Depositing him onto one of the bar stools, she stood back up, wrapping her arms around the muscular chest in front of her.  
"You should get dressed, or I might just keep you here forever"  
Gajeel winked, leaning down to kiss her chastely. "I aint complaining. But Natsu messaged me something about dinner?"  
Levy groaned, burying her face in his chest. "Lu demanded we all go out tonight." She pulled back from his embrace. "Come on, I'll take you home."  
Reluctantly, Gajeel quickly dressed and followed her out to her car.

The drive over to his apartment was quiet, apart from the occasional direction from Gajeel. Levy stopped in front of the building, sighing as she turned to face him.  
Gajeel softly held her face, kissing her tenderly. "I'll pick you up at 6:30. Don't think too much". He brushed his thumb gently across her face, before turning and walking briskly into the building as she drove away.

Gajeel took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was about to come as he unlocked the door and let himself into the apartment he shared with his cousin.  
"Oi metal head, that you?"  
"No, it's the fucking tooth fairy. What do you think?" He called back as he dropped his keys on the counter, bending to scratch the small blue kitten standing on his boot. "Hey Happy. Did he forget to feed you again?" Happy mewed, hoping for a feed.  
A head of pink hair appeared in the hallway door. "Don't listen to him, he's been fed." Natsu turned his attention to his cousin. "Well, you look thoroughly shagged"  
Gajeel just shrugged, brushing past him. "I need a shower."  
Natsu stopped him with a hand on his bicep. "Seriously? You're not going to tell me anything?"  
Gajeel groaned - how did he end up with such a gossip for a roommate? "After I shower. And only if you make lunch!"  
Natsu grinned, letting go of the larger man and heading into the kitchen.

Gajeel stood in the shower, scalding water beating down on him as he rinsed the conditioner from his long hair. Picking up the soap, he lathered up, removing the smells from the bar and the sweat from his other late night activities. Turning off the water, he wrapped his hair in a towel, grabbing another one to dry himself off. He hissed as the fabric dragged across his back. Turning, he chuckled at his reflection in the mirror when he saw the long red marks down his back, and the bruises and bite marks across the top of his shoulders. Apparently Levy had given as good as she'd got last night.  
Dressing quickly in briefs and a pair of black jeans, he let his hair down to dry, opting to leave his shirt off for the moment.  
Walking back to the kitchen, he took a plate of sandwiches and a cup of coffee from Natsu, turning around to sit on the lounge.  
Natsu whistled long and low behind him. "You look like you got attacked by a tiger."  
"Nah, just a shrimp with blue hair."  
"How'd that go?"  
Gajeel knew his cousin was asking about more than just their bedroom activities. "Eh, pretty awkward. But the scotch helped fix that."  
Natsu nodded encouragingly for him to continue. Gajeel sat in silence, eating as he contemplated what to say.  
"We talked for ages. Can you believe she apologised? And then she kissed me."  
"And then this morning, after Lucy was there? I did tell her not to go over, by the way."  
"We talked some more. And other things."  
"So, what now?"  
"I have no idea. Told her I loved her, but I have no idea what we are or what we're doing." Gajeel buried his face in his hands.  
Natsu laughed at his roommate's distress. "She loved you too, you moron. Even I know that! You'll figure it out." He wiggled his eyebrows at the taller man. "Now, what's she like in bed? I bet she's a spitfire!"  
Gajeel smirked, leaning forward conspiratorially. "You'' never know" laughing, he left his friend and locked himself in his room to write for a few hours.

 **A/N: Yikes. It's hard work, getting all of this typed out, you guys.  
** **I appreciate all your favourites and follows, and reviews honestly make me squeal!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here we go again! If you guys are enjoying this, please please PLEASE leave a review. Especially if you have any suggestions of what you want to see ;-) As always, plenty of fluff ahead. There is LEMON in this chapter, consider yourselves warned.  
Like always, I own a dog and a lot of anime, but unfortunately I don't own Fairy Tail.**

At 6pm, Gajeel's phone chirped loudly, disturbing him from his writing. Annoyed, he picked up the device to read the message from an unknown number. It was a link to the Simple Minds song "Don't You". His annoyance forgotten, he quickly saved the number, shooting off a quick reply before he quickly dressed and left the flat.

Levy smiled at the chimes coming from her phone. Unlocking it, she had to laugh - he'd sent her a song in return, Rick Astley's "Never Going to Give You Up". And the accompanying message warmed her heart.  
G - See you soon xxx  
Levy turned back to the mirror to finish her preparations for the night out.

She was applying the last coats of mascara when her doorbell rang.  
"It's open!" she shouted, loudly enough that Gajeel could hear and let himself in. Smacking her lips together, she dropped her lipstick into her back and slid into her flats.  
Gajeel had been playing with Lily, and looked up when she walked into the room. _Holy hell, was she this attractive this morning?_ He swallowed, mouth suddenly dry, as he raked his gaze over her.  
Lean legs looked as if they'd been poured into the dark denim, and Gajeel could only imagine how her already spectacular ass would look. Black singlet hugged every curve, skimming over the low waist of her jeans. He felt oddly proud that she was wearing a band shirt, a band he'd introduced her to, no less. The low neck exposed a large amount of creamy skin from her slender neck, all the way down to the gentle swell of her breasts. She'd left her hair down, the longest parts curling softly at the ends, fridge sitting low over one eye. Her long, dark lashed framed her eyes, giving her a doe-eyed look, and her lips - her soft, delicious lips - were stained a dark, red win colour.

Gajeel blushed as she smiled at him, his blatant staring hadn't gone unnoticed.  
"Like something you see?" Levy's voice was low, husky with desire. The low slung jeans and tight shirt he was wearing were leaving very little to her imagination. The thick dark hair, flowing freely down his back was tempting her, her fingers itching to run though it.  
"Stunning." Gajeel breathed, crossing the floor in two strides, gathering the short woman in his arms and kissing her dark lips fiercely.  
Levy steered them towards the couch, climbing onto his lap so she could grind her denim covered core against his. Gajeel groaned at the sensation, as levy began to kiss and gently nip at the skin on his jaw and neck.  
"'Jeel" she murmured in between kisses. "We shouldn't. We'll, ah! We'll be late". Her hands were already working on his belt, as his fingers were unzipping her jeans ans sliding inside.  
"They can wait."  
Even Gajeel himself was surprised at how fast he'd moved, pinning Levy against the arm of the couch, sliding down her jeans and panties, and thrusting inside of her in one fluid motion.  
"Ah! Fuck, Lev, you feel so good."  
Levy giggled quietly, arching her back to draw him closer. "Don't make us late."  
Gajeel blinked in shock. _Is she challenging me?_ He smirked at the blue hair in front of him. _Then challenge accepted._  
Setting a bruising pace, he slammed his hips against hers. Brushing her hair to the side, he bit down hard into her shoulder as one of his hands snaked down between her legs, pinching and rolling the bundle of nerves he found there. He grinned as he felt her tense underneath him, moaning loudly. His victory was short lived though, as her body convulsed against him, her walls pulsing rhythmically around his cock pulling him into his own release.

The conversation at dinner was easy, everyone curious about Levy's studies and the travels she'd undertaken. She was just finishing telling everyone about her research trip to the sites in Yucatan when the first round of food arrived. A comfortable silence fell over the group, until Natsu opened his mouth and asked the question on everyone's minds.  
"So, are you two like, together now, or what?"  
Levy nearly choked on her mouthful, as Gajeel made a concerted effort not to spray his water all over the table.  
"Natsu!" Lucy slapped his arm. "You can't just ask people things like that!" She turned to face her blushing friends. "Feel free to ignore him, he was obviously raised by wild animals."  
"But Luce" he whined. "They've got sex hair! There's gotta be a story there."  
Gajeel fixed his cousin with a look that would have terrified any normal person. "None of your business, pinky" he growled.  
Natsu was completely unaffected by the look he was receiving, smiling and continuing to eat.

Back at Levy's, Gajeel grabbed his bag before following Levy inside.  
"Really, a bag already?" Levy teased.  
Gajeel knew she was teasing, but he couldn't help but prickle at her words. "Got a problem with it?"  
Levy sighed, her shoulders slumping. "No, Gajeel. I have a problem with your attitude."  
"My attitude?" Gajeel hissed out. "You're the one being difficult."  
"You know what, Gajeel, if you're going to be like this, you should just go. I don't want to fight with you any more."  
He wanted to go to her, wanted to wrap his arms around her and holder her close, apologize until he was hoarse. Instead, his pride snapped, and before he could stop himself he was stomping out the door, slamming it behind him.

Standing on the step at her front door, he sat down heavily and listened to the sound of her sobbing quietly inside. _Was this it for them? Were the last 24 hours just a way for them to get each other out of their systems?_ Gajeel dropped his face into his hands, internally groaning at the way he'd managed to effectively ruin their new relationship already. His temper always had been their problem - he'd get mad, she'd bite back, they'd end up just screaming at each other. Sometimes they'd even resort to throwing things when their fights got even more passionate.  
Rubbing his face, Gajeel spoke out loud to himself "oh, fuck it" and, praying that she hadn't locked him out, carefully turned the knob. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when the door swung open.

Levy was on the couch, her petite frame curled up impossibly small as she held a cushion to her chest, eyes red from tears.  
Gajeel moved slowly, trying not to startle her. "Levy, honey?"  
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision. Surely her eyes were playing tricks on her - there's no way the big, bad Gajeel Redfox was kneeling in front of her looking remorseful. "Gajeel?"  
He gently rested his hands on her knees. "I'm here, Lev. I'm so sorry."  
She smiled slightly, wiping her face with one hand. "You should be."  
"I know. I didn't mean to upset you. I just, you know what I'm like. I'll try harder, if you'll let me? I can go, if you want..."  
Levy tossed the pillow over to the armchair, holding her arms out to a very relieved Gajeel, who took a seat next to her, pulling her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her.  
"I don't want you to go anywhere, Gaj. But this, us? It's going to be hard."  
"I don't care." He kissed the blue hair tucked against his shoulder. "I don't care how hard it is. I let you go once, and I regretted it every day since. I'm not going to do it again." He gently pushed her away from him, thumb gently stroking the tear tracks on her cheek. "I'll try and keep my temper in check. And hey, at least we didn't break anything this time!"  
Levy giggled. "Well, I guess that's progress." She yawned, then squeaked in surprise when Gajeel stood, easily holding her small frame against his chest.  
"I think it's time for bed, Shrimp." His voice rumbled above her as he carefully lowered her onto the bed before backing away.  
Levy's hand shot out, latching firmly onto his wrist. "Stay? Please?"  
Gajeel smiled, lifting his arm to kiss her fingers. "I'll be back in a second."

Levy quickly stripped off down to her lace panties, and shimmied out of her bra, leaving the singlet on. She was just climbing off the bed when Gajeel turned sheepishly, holding his bag in one hand. Offering him a smile, she moved into the ensuite bathroom to wash off the remnants of her make up. She was finishing up brushing her teeth when Gajeel appeared in the doorway. He'd stripped down to just a pair of cotton boxers, and Levy took the opportunity to appreciate the view.  
Gajeel quirked an eyebrow, but said nothing as her eyes roamed over his body.  
Pressing a kiss to his bicep, she pushed passed him. "Bathroom's yours." Levy could hear him getting ready for bed as she moved through the small house, locking doors and turning off lights, climbing into bed just as he finished in the bathroom.  
Gajeel slid into the bed next to her, holding her close to his chest.  
"Hey, 'Jeel?"  
"Mmmm?"  
"I'm sorry about, y'know, earlier."  
"Shrimp, you got nothin' to be sorry you." He gently kissed the top of her head, searching for her hand in the darkness and intertwining their fingers. "That was all me, 'kay?"  
"Mmmm." She snuggled against his warmth. "So, Juvia and Gray, huh?" Referring back to the news they'd been given at dinner.  
"I know. Poor kid, having Gray as a dad."  
"Honestly though, I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner."  
"Me too, the way those two go at it. But Juvia seem's happy."  
"She'll be a good mum."  
"So would you."  
Levy gasped, sitting up slightly, as Gajeel blushed - thankful for the darkness hiding it as he realised what he'd said.  
"I mean... I, just... You know. Someday, if that's what you, uh, wanted..."  
Levy giggled at his stammering, leaning down to softly press a chaste kiss against his lips to silence him. "Thank you. You'll make a wonderful father someday, if you decide you want to."  
Gajeel huffed, pulling the bluenette back down against him. "What do you wanna do tomorrow?"  
"Gotta work the lunch rush, but then I'm all yours."  
"'Kay. Pick you up when you finish?"  
"Mmmm, that'd be nice." She sighed, curling up against him as she drifted off to sleep. "Love you, Gaj."  
"Love you too, Lev."

 **A/N: OKAY WOW There is so much fluff in this chapter, I think I need to visit the dentist.  
Just kidding, I hate that place. I should hopefully have more up tomorrow for you all.**  
 **Remember, reviews make authors worlds go round!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Lemon ahead, as usual! Once again, I own a bunch of stuff - a mortgage, a bookcase, an undying love for Gajeel - but alas, I still don't own Fairy Tail.**

0-0-0-0-0

Levy was cleaning away away the last of the dishes in her section when the bell over the door jingled, announcing the arrival of more customers.  
"Sit anywhere you like." She called brightly, not even looking up from the table she was wiping down. Tucking the cloth back into her apron, she straightened, fixing her work smile onto her face. "Welcome to Fairy... Oh! 'Jeel!" Her face split into a genuine grin at the sight of the raven haired man in front of her. "Sit at the bar, I'm almost done. Do you want anything?"  
Gajeel shook his head, sliding onto one of the stools at the long bar. "Place hasn't changed one bit."  
"Nope! Mira made sure of that."  
The platinum blonde poked her head out from the kitchen at he mention of her name. "Talking about me, little blue?" Her blue eyes went wide when she saw who was sitting there, before she came barreling out of the kitchen and around the bar to tackle the large man in a tight hug.  
"Gajeel Redfox, as I live and breathe. How are you? It's so good to see you! I mean, I saw you the other night at the bar, but I was working and you were busy, and I'm rambling, aren't I?"  
Gajeel smirked at the blonde who was presently sliding onto the stool next to him. "Pretty sure you were going to faint for a second there, Demon."  
Mira smiled, knocking her shoulder against his arm at the use of the old nickname. "Sorry,but you know it's been a while."  
"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "This place really hasn't changed at all. Neither have you, Mira. You look good - happy."  
"Thanks Gajeel, I am happy. But why exactly are you, Mr. Famous Rockstar, doing here in the middle of the day?"  
Levy chose that exact moment to emerge from the staff offices, having snuck off to change when Mira had practically thrown herself at Gajeel.  
"Well, uh, actually, I'm here to, ah, pick Levy up." He stammered.  
Mira looked between the blushing bluenette and awkwardly fidgeting man, giggling slightly. "Oh, that explains all the love bites!" She exclaimed brightly. "Well, off you go! Go have some fun!" None too gently shoving the couple towards the exit.

Suddenly finding themselves out in the afternoon sunshine, they blinked at each other owlishly.  
"So, uh, that happened."  
Levy giggled, looking up the perplexed man beside her. "Pretty sure she's in there planning weddings and dreaming about babies right now."  
"Some things never change." He gently wove his fingers with hers, smiling down at his... Girlfriend? _No, that wasn't right_. Partner? _Nope, too soon for that_. Lover? _Definitely not_. Levy? _His Levy? Yeah, that works._ "So, shrimp, what do you want to do?"  
She thought for a moment, before a smile bloomed across her pretty face.  
"You, obviously! But I need a shower, I smell like a kitchen." She pouted. "And Wendy said something about catching up."  
Taking her bag from her shoulder, Gajeel started off towards her house. It was fairly close, and they'd decided to enjoy the afternoon sun. "Okay. Home for a shower and dinner with Wendy?  
Swinging their joined hands slightly, Levy giggled. "You forgot something, silly."  
"No I didn't, it's called multi-tasking. You can do me in the shower." He winked down at her.  
Suddenly, Levy's flat felt like forever away, and they both increased their pace, keen to be joined again.

0-0-0-0-0

Levy stood under the pounding water, sighing as the heat loosened her stiff shoulders, washing away the tension of the past few days. She shivered slightly at the blast of chilled air when the door opened and then quickly shut again, sighing as a pair of warm arms wrapped around her body.  
Gajeel lowered his head until his mouth was level with her ear. "I seem to remember you promising to show me something, shrimp." His tone told her that he wasn't asking, and she shuddered at the dark pleasures she knew that voice could bring as he spun her in his arms to face him.  
"Alright. Do you want to count all of them, or just the ones that have jewelry in them right now?"  
"I, uh, you..." _Smooth, man. Choke on your own tongue, that'll definitely get you want you want._ He scolded himself. "All of them. I can help you with the jewelry if you need."  
Pushing away from his, frankly incredible, body, Levy smiled sinfully at him. "Start counting then, Kurogane."  
Her voice dropped on the last word, and Gajeel felt all the blood in his body rush south.  
Levy moved her hair back to show off 6 piercings in her right ear, 8 in her left, including one in her tragus and a rook.  
Gajeel whistled long and low. "Damn shrimp, you've nearly got me beat."  
She just smiled and flipped down the septum piercing she'd had tucked away for the past few days.  
"Where were you? How did I not?" Gajeel was tripping over his words, and she wasn't done yet. _Lord have mercy,_ he thought to himself.  
Levy giggled, tapping the side of her nose and then sticking her tongue out to showcase the barely there hole in the muscle. "And you've already seen these." She tapped her lip next to the rings of her spider bites.  
Gajeel swallowed heavily. Seeing the metal jewelry, or the places it usually resided, was showing him just how much his Levy had changed over the years and fuck if he didn't find it incredibly hot.  
"So, uh, that's ummm... That's 19 so far. Fuck, Lev, that's only one or two off my count." _And fucking sexy,_ he thought to himself.

Levy smiled, and Gajeel's breath caught, because Jesus she wasn't done yet. She tugged slightly on both nipples, watching as his eyes grew wide.  
"Both?" He whispered.  
"Yeah. They weren't even though, so I'm leaving this one" she grabbed his hand and placed it on her right breast "heal over."  
Gently rolling the rosy coloured nub in his calloused fingers, Gajeel felt the tiny spots of scar tissue, just slightly firmer than the rest of her velvety smooth skin.  
Moaning at the sensation, Levy reluctantly guided him away from her breast and down to her navel, where his fingers found the indentations of not one, but two, healed piercings.  
"You are just full of surprises."  
"I'm not finished."  
Gajeel's brain shut off then and there, because surely there was nowhere else she could have threaded steel through her skin, except for **there** , and Gajeel was fairly certain he'd have noticed those by now. Without even realizing what he was doing, he'd sunk to his knees on the hard tile, staring up through the water at the woman - _no, goddess_ \- above him.  
With Gajeel's hand resting gently on her hip, Levy blushed at position they were in. Taking a deep breath of the steamy air to steady her nerves, she opened herself to him, letting him see the barely there holes on her outer lips, and the still open one right above her almost hidden clit.  
He let out a strangled moan, the noise catching in his throat as he quickly rose, pulling the little bluenette into his arms under the warm spray and kissing her fiercely. "Jesus, Levy, you're actually killing me." He growled against her lips, rock hard member pressed firmly against her stomach.

Levy wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, and pulled herself up until her legs were locked around his hips.  
"Do you know why I got them? All of them?" She whispered huskily in his ear. "They reminded me of **you**."  
"Levy" he whispered, turning his head to claim her lips in a passionate kiss, as he sheathed himself fully inside her with one thrust.  
Hips rocking slowly, he set a rhythm that quickly had the tiny woman in his arms seeing stars as he thrust his hips hard against her, before withdrawing slowly. Hands scrambling for purchase on his arms and shoulders, Levy settled for tangling her fingers in his thick wet hair, holding his lips against her own.  
Wrenching her head away, she threw it against the tiles, ignoring the dull pain as the coil inside her wound even tighter.  
"Kurogane, **please!** " She begged him.  
"Come on, Lev. Come for me." He growled.  
At his words, she let go, the coil wound so tightly it finally snapped, white hot heat radiating from her core and consuming her entire body, the pleasure so intense she couldn't hear herself scream.  
Gajeel eased her through her bliss with gentle, shallow thrusts, smiling when she came back to herself. "Hi."  
"Mmm hi yourself, handsome."  
"How're your legs, Kitten?" He asked, reaching to shut off the rapidly cooling water.  
"I have legs?" Levy laughed as he set her down, keeping his arms close to her as he legs wobbled, but thankfully held her weight.  
Gajeel smiled, using a firm grip on her waist to guide her to the vanity, pushing her until she bent with her elbows on the bench and her eyes were watching him in the mirror. Grabbing a fistful of hair, he gently lifted her head.  
"I want you to watch yourself, Kitten. Can you do that for me?"  
"Yes"  
The hand in her hair tightened almost to the point of pain. "Yes, what?"  
Levy's heart skipped a beat at the dark look on his face, and she felt the sudden rush of heat that came with understanding.  
"Yes, sir."

Gajeel practically purred as he slid inside her welcoming heat. "Good girl, Kitten. Keep your eyes on us." He waited until her saw her nod in the mirror before he set a bruising pace, driving her higher as he wound the coil tighter.  
Levy tried her hardest to keep watch like he'd demanded, but the pleasure growing in her was unbearable and she shut her eyes.  
No sooner than her eyelids had slid shut was Gajeel tightening the hand in her hair, tugging painfully. "I said watch, Kitten. Last warning."  
"Yes, ah! Sir" She managed to gasp out the same time his other hand snaked its way between the bench and her body, pinching and rolling the bundle of nerves between her legs. She was strung out, body too sensitive from her earlier orgasm and overheating from the pleasure building inside her, her mind over stimulated from his ministrations and the image of his muscles contracting as he thrust into her. It was all too much, the pain from her head where he was tugging on her hair, the pleasure radiating from her core.  
"Shh Kitten, relax." Gajeel purred into her ear, the ends of his soft hair tickling at her back, setting her nerves on fire. "Trust me, just a little bit more."  
He knew she was at the end of her tether when her moans turned into sobs of pleasure, and he cupped his hand under her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his in the mirror. "Eyes open. Watch yourself as you come." And with that he bit harshly into her shoulder and felt the lithe body underneath him tense, and then start convulsing.

If it was possible to die from pleasure, Levy was certain that's what had happened as she watched herself in the bathroom mirror. She felt almost as if she was watching someone else. _I wonder if this is what an out of body experience is?_ She thought to herself. She could see Gajeel's tanned body behind her, muscles tensed as he rode out his own peak inside her. But what had caught her attention was her own face, skin of her jaw pale against his tanned hand, her cheeks flushed, lips opened in a silent scream, and her eyes. Her eyes were what held her attention - pupils blown wide, the amber of her irises was almost glowing.  
"You're so beautiful when you come for me, Kitten." Gajeel growled, the calloused hand under her chin moving to gently push her chest back against his chest. "Tell me how you feel"  
Levy coughed, her throat dry from silent screams. "Wonderful, Sir."  
Gajeel made sure she could stand on her own, before gently cleaning her with a damp cloth. When he was done, he bundled the bluenette in his arms and cuddled her against his chest as he lay on the bed, gently stroking her back and hair until she came back to her senses. "Levy, honey?"  
"Mmmm hello."  
"You okay?"  
Levy stretched then, arching her back like a cat. "Perfect, Kurogane. What brought that on?"  
Gajeel chuckled a little. "Just wanted you to see what I do." He kissed the top of her head. "Where's your head at? I can practically hear you thinking."  
"Just surprised, I haven't seen that side of you for a very long time. I missed him." She leant up, softly kissing the end of his nose before standing. "We should get going, if we're going to meet Wendy."  
Gajeel groaned, rubbing his hands down his face. "You had to mention my baby cousin right now."

0-0-0-0-0

 **A/N: I'm going to go hide for literally the rest of my life now, oh my lord. Posting this stuff STILL makes me incredibly nervous!  
If I got anything 'wrong' as far as body piercing goes, my apologies. I don't have any piercings (more into tattoos personally), so I was relying on google, and we all know how risky that can be!**

 **Now, in response to your reviews...  
Df92 - I'm glad you love it! At this rate, this thing is going to go forever, because I just don't know how to end things.  
MelindaRedfox328 - I actually squealed when I got yours, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm glad you're enjoying it!  
Onichan - They make me wish for a happy ending too! Not quite sure where these two crazy kids will end up, as I haven't finished this story yet; every time I try it just demands more!  
Mskumiko24 - You're welcome, I'm glad you're enjoying it!  
NewWorldRunaway - I'm glad you're loving it, there's plenty more to come!  
JGio23 - Don't worry, there's plenty of updates still to come!**

 **Remember to review your authors, kids - its how you feed them!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yikes! SORRY EVERYONE! Life has been kicking my butt lately. But it's boring and you guys don't care about that. So, bearing in mind that I own nothing of importance, let's just dive right into the sugary, lemony goodness you came for!**

An hour or so later, Levy found herself sitting in the courtyard of a local restaurant with Gajeel, Wendy and Romeo.  
They were enjoying the last rays of sunshine as they ate slowly, preferring to spend their time talking and catching up with each other. Gajeel had just finished telling another tour story where Wendy once again had to rescue Natsu from an awkward situation.

"So, what are you going to do now that you're grounded for a while, Squirt?" Levy asked the younger bluenette.  
Wendy stuck her tongue out at the use of the old nickname, causing everyone to laugh. "I'm not sure. It's been so long since we've been in the one place for more than a week. I'm just looking forward to being a normal human again! I want to catch up with everyone, and spend some time with Romeo and his family." Shooting Levy a wink, she waited until Gajeel had taken a mouthful of his drink before continuing. "Oh, and lots of sex"  
Gajeel choked on his water, spluttering as his face flushed crimson  
"Jesus, kid, I did not need to know that!"  
The entire table dissolved into laughter at his reaction, before settling back into easier topics of conversation - content to enjoy each others company as the sun set into darkness.

"Wendy seems happy." Levy stated, taking a seat next to Gajeel on the couch, gathering Lily onto her lap and scratching his ears.  
"She's a good kid." Gajeel stated, pulling Levy's leg into his lap and gently running his hands over her denim-clad shins.  
"Hardly a kid anymore, Gaj. She grew up. Hell, we all did."  
"She'll always be my kid cousin though. Romeo's alright though, treats her right."  
Lily stood, his meowing disturbing the quiet conversation. Gajeel lent over, plucking him from Levy's legs and deposited the black cat onto his own shoulders, where Lily happily pawed at the long black hair.  
As Levy watched her two boys interact, she was struck with the thought that, even if the past few days had actually been amazing, they really were going to have to talk about, well, everything at some point.

Sighing, she rescued Gajeel's hair from Lily's paws and placed the unhappy feline on the floor.  
"Gajeel, we need to talk."  
"Yeh, I know" he sighed. Rubbing his hands down his face, he mentally prepared himself for what was bound to be a difficult conversation.  
The silence stretched between them, Lily flicking his eyes silently between them from his refuge opposite.  
Taking a deep breath - _now or never,_ she thought to herself - Levy raised her eyes to watch Gajeel's face. "What are we doing?" She whispered.  
"Hell if I know." He winced at the quiver in his voice. Swallowing, Gajeel forced himself to continue. "But I don't want to stop. Levy, I - I missed you, a lot. I hated not knowing where you were, what you were doing, if you were happy. I don't want to feel like that again. Being with you, it's - it feels right. Not just 'cause it's familiar. It's different too - we're different now. And I want to know the person you are now, and I want you in my life, hopefully for a real long time". _Oops,_ Gajeel thought to himself as the silence grew heavy between them, _Probably shouldn't have blurted that out all at once._ "Sorry, I, uh - I just wanted you to know. But you could say something any time now, kinda freaking out a bit here Shrimp."  
Lifting her chin so her eyes met his, Gajeel was stunned by the tears shining in the amber depths. He was worried, until he registered the smile on her soft lips.  
"I don't think I've ever heard you say so much at once" Levy giggled quietly, reaching out to intertwine their fingers. "I said I love you, and I meant it. I don't ever want you to not be here again. I know it'll be hard sometimes, but we can work it out together. We've got a whole year to figure things out, and when you have to leave, well, we'll figure that out too."  
Gajeel lent over, kissing her softly. "I love you, Lev. Be my girl again?"  
"Silly Gajeel, I was always your girl."

Relieved, Gajeel felt a genuine grin spread across his face. "So, what's next Shrimp? Tell me your plans for this year."  
Levy lent forwards, tucking herself against her boyfriends chest, enjoying the warmth blossoming from her heart at the thought of Gajeel as her boyfriend again. "Work at the cafe until classes start again, then I'll be back at MU taking classes and grading papers, at least until I get my PhD results."  
"Wait, so you actually teach people?"  
Giggling, Levy rubbed circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. "Kind of. The lecturers and professors run the program, write the course and take the lectures and stuff. The tutors, like me, run the tutorial classes. They're smaller, like 15 people or so, and we help them with their assignments, answer their questions and help with exam prep."  
"And the paper grading?"  
"Oh! Most of the PhD candidates work as assistants to their professors, and we do things like prep materials, run practical labs, and help grade assignments."  
Gajeel let out a low whistle. "Damn Shrimp, you really are incredible."  
Levy blushed at the compliment. "Thanks. I worked really hard to get to this point. But Maky's great to work with, and the program's pretty small, so I'll still have plenty of time to spend with you."  
"Wait. Do you mean Maky as in..."  
"Professor Makarov Drayer. Yup, Laxus Dreyar's grandfather. He heads up the linguistics department, plus Laxus is back in town so he's extra chill these days. I'm surprised Mira didn't mention it to you, actually, although she has been extra flaky since he showed up at the bar one night randomly."  
"Probably because they're together, Shrimp. Didn't you notice the not-quite-covered love bite?"  
Levy shook her head, trying to remember anything that would indicate a relationship between the hulking blonde man and her platinum haired friend.  
"It's definitely Laxus. Extra sharp canines - and seeing as it definitely wasn't me or Wendy, and Natsu wouldn't even know what a love bite is, that leaves just one cousin."  
"Oh my God!" Levy squealed. "I can't wait to ask her. I've finally got payback for all her years of teasing me!"  
The couple spent the next few hours swapping stories and reminiscing on the old days, when the gang was all together, until Levy yawned suddenly.  
Looking at the time, Gajeel stood and gathered her into his arms. "Come on Shrimp, time for bed."  
They silently stripped off, climbing into the bed and tangling limbs together, quickly letting sleep claim them.

 **A/N: I know, it's only a short one. Felt like a natural stopping point. And hopefully the next chapter will be up in a day or two! I'll do my very best for you all, even though the biggest con of the season is like 10 days away... Remember to review! It fuels my desire to sit down and type everything out for you all 3**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here we go folks - lemons ahead! You've been warned. Song for this chapter is "It's Not Your Fault" by New Found Glory, in case you want to hear what the gang's working on. Now, let's get to it...**

The next few months passed quickly, the warm summer giving way to the cooler autumn nights.  
The couple spent their time together, falling easily into a routine - when Levy worked at the cafe, so to did Gajeel. When Levy was at the university, Gajeel spent his days in the studio reserved for the band, writing and working on the new album.

On this particular day, Levy had left early to take a 7 am study session. Unable to go back to sleep after she had bounced out of the house - far too cheery for so early, in Gajeel's opinion - he had shrugged on a warm jacket, grabbed a coffee from Mira, and headed to the studio.  
Finding the door unlocked, he stuck his head inside to find Wendy and Natsu on the couch, both with similarly steaming cups in hand.  
"What are you lot doing here so early?"  
"Good morning Gajeel!" Wendy called brightly. _What is it with bluenette's and mornings?_ Gajeel thought to himself.  
Natsu just shrugged. "Luce left early, so we thought we might do some work."  
Wendy looked up from her phone then. "Gray's coming about 11."  
Draining the rest of his coffee, Gajeel tossed the empty cup into the bin and dropped his jacket on a chair. "Right, let's get cracking then."

The next few hours passed quickly, the trio sorting through everyone's scribbled notes and penning proper copies of lyrics and chord progressions onto blank manuscript, rather than the napkins and other scrap paper in front of them.  
"Gajeel! This one's really good!" Wendy squealed as she passed his notebook over to Natsu. "How were you hearing it?"  
Gajeel took the book back, quickly skimming the page before closing his eyes and starting to hum softly.  
Scrambling to his feet, Natsu grabbed his guitar, strumming out chords and occasionally noting things down.  
By 10:30 they'd fleshed out the song and were on their second full play through when the door sprung open and Levy bounced in, arms full of bags and trays from Mira.

Abandoning their work, the trio surrounded the small bluenette, happily accepting hot coffee and fresh muffins.  
"I think I love you" Natsu garbled around a mouthful of raspberry muffin. Levy just laughed as Gajeel wrapped his arms around her, glaring at his pink-haired band mate.  
"Mine." He growled, kissing the top of Levy's hair. "What are you doing here, though? I thought you weren't gonna finish until later?"  
"We finished early. My kids are smart" she shrugged. "Besides, I wanted to show you something." She pulled an envelope from her jacket pocket and handed to her boyfriend. As he was reading, she slipped from his hold and deposited her jacket on the couch. Turning around, she was greeted with a pair of wide crimson eyes.  
"Lev, does this say what I think it does?"  
Giggling, Levy nodded. She hadn't even finished the action before she was being picked up in strong arms and spun around, oblivious to the curious stares of their audience.

"$10 she's knocked up." Natsu whispered to Wendy, who giggled.  
"You're on!" She agreed, having already seen the official MU letterhead.  
Still ignoring the pair watching them, Gajeel kissed the girl in his arms deeply. "I'm so proud of you baby." He whispered against her lips.  
"Uhh, guys?" Gray cleared his throat from the entry. "What's going on?"  
Gently lowering Levy to the ground, Gajeel turned to face his friend. "Shrimp's officially a doctor!"  
Natsu smiled, passing $10 over to a squealing Wendy, and gave a thumbs up. "Awesome, Levy!"  
"I knew you'd do it Lev! That's so awesome!" Wendy wrapped her friend in a tight hug.

The group chatted excitedly as they finished their impromptu morning tea, peppering Levy with questions about her graduation and what she was going to do next. When she'd answered the same, frankly silly, question from Natsu for a fifth time Levy stood, clapping her hands together.  
"Right, back to work you lot!"  
All she got in response was a chorus of groans.  
"Oh, come on! It was sounding good. Tell you what, if you finish that song today, I promise we can go out this weekend and I won't complain."  
That did it, and the band quickly sprung back to their spots from earlier, talking Gray through what they'd been doing and what they had in mind, as Levy cleared the small mess, sitting down onto the couch to start grading papers as the band began to work.

After listening to them play through the same section 17 times, Levy stood and stretched, walking over to her now cranky boyfriend.  
"I think I know what the problem is."  
Sighing, he squeezed her fingers. "I hope so, 'cause I'm starting to think it's just a dud."  
Levy shook her head, moving to stand next to Gray's keyboard. "Not a dud. May I?" She asked. Gray just held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, 2 bars and then you" she pointed at Wendy and Natsu "both come in. I'll signal you." Taking a deep breath, she placed her hands on the keys and began to play.  
When they finished, Levy turned to face a group of very stunned people. "What?"  
"Jesus, Levy. You're fucking perfect." Gajeel beamed at her.  
"Gajeel's right, that was perfect." Gray agreed. "What did you do?"  
"Simple, you had the right notes but in the wrong order." Levy shrugged, making the adjustments on a fresh piece of manuscript. "There, now you guys can polish it." She turned to go back to her papers, but was stopped by Natsu's warm hand on her arm.  
"Uhmm, Levy, would you, uh, maybe, sing with us?" He stammered. "It's just, you've got such a good voice, and it always sounds really good when you & Gajeel harmonize. I mean, you don't have to..." He trailed off.  
"But it's exactly what I was hearing when I wrote it." Gajeel finished.  
Looking between their pleading faces, Levy threw her hands in the air in defeat. "Fine! But just this once!"

Grey, Natsu and Wendy all filed out of the studio, with promises to organise a celebration.  
"Finally." Gajeel rasped , sliding down next to Levy on the couch and plucking the papers from her hands.  
"Gajeel! I'm not finished!" She pouted.  
"Sure you are. 'Sides, there's more important things for you to do right not." He smirked, then quickly kissed her, silencing any potential protests. Sliding his hand up into her hair, Gajeel guided her to lay back, nestling himself between her thighs.  
"Gajeel" Levy whispered breathlessly when they broke apart for air, her hands scrabbling against his shirt. Gajeel quickly divested them of their tops and set about sucking a path along her neck and shoulder, making Levy whimper in pleasure.  
"Ugh, gross!" Came a yell from the doorway. Levy squeaked in surprise, attempting to hide her bare torso underneath Gajeel's broad chest.  
"Seriously?! Thought you already left flame brain." Gajeel fumed, annoyed at being interrupted. He shifted to cover Levy as much as possible, all the while glaring daggers at the pinkette.  
Natsu remained as unaffected as usual, smirking knowingly. "Forgot my keys" he offered in explanation, picking up and jingling the offending items. "I'll let you guys get back to whatever it is you were doing." Stopping at the open door, he turned and winked at the couple. "Remember - sound proof room!" And with that he was gone, his laughter heard through the slowly closing door.

Gajeel dropped his head onto Levy's shoulder when the door clicked shut, kissing her skin softly. "Well, that'll kill the mood".  
Tugging on the thick raven hair, Levy raised his eyes to meet her own that were sparkling with mischief, the amber darkened almost to chocolate with lust. "Oh, I don't know" she whispered. "Some people might find it exciting." She lent up to crash her lips against his, reveling in the moan he let loose. Already, she could feel his arousal returning, twitching against her fabric covered core. She experimentally swirled her hips, and was rewarded with a groan. "Gaj, please. Need you."  
No sooner had the words left her mouth than she found herself being divested of her clothes by a somehow already naked Gajeel. It still made her head spin to know he desired her so much, that he could have them naked and joined almost instantly.  
When he reached towards her now-bare core, Levy intercepted his hand with her own, tugging him up towards her. "Don't. Need you in me, now."  
Chuckling, Gajeel lined himself up and slowly entered her, moaning at the sensation.  
"Oh, fuck!" Levy swore at the feeling of being filled and stretched ever so slowly. Opening her eyes to meet his ruby gaze, she gently flexed her walls around him.  
"Do that again, kitten." His tone was demanding, and it had Levy's excitement spiking further.  
Tightening rhythmically around him, Levy knew he was hurtling towards his end as his thrusts started coming harder and faster.  
Reaching a hand between then, Gajeel rubbed calloused fingers against the tiny bundle of nerves as he groaned. "Come with me. Now" he ordered.  
Levy tightened even further, head flying back and spine arching as she screamed out her release.  
Satisfied that he had pleased her, Gajeel's hips stuttered twice as he swore through his release.

Utterly spent, he dropped down onto Levy's chest, heaving as she tried to recover her breath, which caused her to squirm and laugh.  
"Gaj! Get off, I can't breathe!"  
Groaning, Gajeel pulled away from her warmth and set about finding their clothes, the pair of them redressing hastily. "Come on Shrimp, lets get you home." Take her small hand in his, he kissed her fingers gently. "Working tonight?"  
Levy shook her head in response, blue curls swishing softly against her shoulders.  
"Good, I'm taking you out to celebrate." Helping her gather her materials, Gajeel swung his arm around his girls shoulders as the left the studio.

 **A/N: I don't know what it is, but posting lemons makes me nervous! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed both having something posted on time, and the new chapter.**

 **Couple of reviews to answer -  
** **Guest - thank you! I'm trying to weave little bits of everyone in here, so I'm glad you noticed! I hope I'm doing them all justice.  
** **BanRedfox - I mean, there's always going to be tension with these two, but hopefully the fluff more than makes up for it. And you just might be onto something there - keep an eye out for the next chapter to find out if you're right!**

 **Please remember to follow, favourite and review! Honestly, there's so much here to type up, and knowing you guys are looking forward to it just makes my heart so very happy!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Gonna pop these up here so I don't forget! Couple of reviews to reply to -**

 **Daisy Shields - thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. The song will pop up again later on, so hopefully it'll explain some stuff for you.  
BanRedfox - yeah, but try telling that to those two! At least it's somewhere Gajeel works too, so he can always be embarrassed about it XD**

 **As usual, I don't own anything Fairy Tail (unless you include the blu-ray collection or the mountain of exceed plushies?) and there's lemons ahead, because it's me - of course there is!**

* * *

7pm found Levy nervously smoothing the skirt of her maroon wrap dress again. Gajeel had said " _dress nice, pick you up at 7"_ before leaving her at her front door earlier that day. She was entertaining the thought of changing - again - when a sharp knock at the door signaled his arrival.  
Opening the door, Levy found herself suddenly short of words. Gajeel was wearing his usual black boots, tight black pants that highlighted his enviable musculature, and a deep maroon button down, the fabric stretched tight over his enormous arms and broad chest.  
"Wow" Levy breathed. "Do we have to go out?"  
Gajeel chuckled. "You look too good in that dress not to show you off. Ready?"  
Pulling on her shoes, Levy took Gajeel's hand in her own smaller on as she shut and locked the front door. "So where are we going?"  
"It's a surprise" he kissed the top of her head as she stopped to climb into his car. "You look beautiful" he whispered to her, cupping her cheek tenderly.

They rode in silence, with Levy's hand resting on his thigh as he drove, until he stopped in front of the restaurant.  
"Gaj! This is way too nice!" She protested as he led her inside.  
"Nonsense. My girl got her degree, that deserves celebrating" he chuckled as the server made his way over.  
"Good evening, and welcome to Island. Do you have a reservation?"  
"Redfox."  
Checking the book, the waiter pulled two menus and gestured for the couple to follow. "Right this way, please."

Over dinner and wine, their conversation flowed easily. When dessert arrived, Levy fixed him with a look. "Gajeel."  
He quirked an eyebrow at her, gesturing for her to continue.  
"The last few months have been wonderful. I know we've had our moments, but we're getting better at being together. I love you, and I want you to be around all the time." Taking a deep breath, she slid a key across the table to him. "Move in with me?"  
Gajeel rounded the table, kneeling on the floor in front of her and kissed her breathless. "I would love to." He lent in and kissed her again.  
Suddenly aware of eyes on them, Levy giggled as she watched the realization of their position dawn on Gajeel's face, blushing as he quickly moved back to his seat. "I think the couple over there thinks you just proposed to me" she whispered, winking at him.  
"How do you know I wasn't going to?" He smirked back.  
Levy shook her head, trying to clear the sudden blush. "No, I don't think so. It's to soon and you like to make a scene." She teased. "Now, I know you've got the next few days off so tomorrow, you pack up your meager apartment, I'll clean up at home and you can move straight in, if you like. You can have the second room as your home studio, and..."  
"Levy!" Gajeel interrupted. "Breathe, Shrimp. You're starting to ramble." When she took a deep breath, he reached across the table and squeezed her hands. "Move first, we'll sort the rest out later. Right now I think it's time to head home, yeah?"  
Nodding, Levy stood on slightly wobbly legs. "Just let me visit the ladies room first."  
Gajeel smiled as she left, flagging down a waiter to settle the bill.

* * *

Arm in arm, they climbed the stairs to Gajeel's apartment, Levy keen to get started on packing. As they climbed the last couple of steps, Levy took his keys and skipped ahead to let them into the flat. Shooing Happy away from the doorway, she scurried towards his bedroom to get started on packing.  
"Hey, Natsu, you here?" Gajeel called.  
"In here!"  
Following the slightly muffled voice, Gajeel pushed open Natsu's bedroom door, leaning on the door frame. "Lucy here?"  
Natsu turned in his chair. "Don't think so. Hey - you used my name! I was starting to think you didn't know it."  
Glancing down the hallway, Gajeel heard Levy chattering away to Happy. Satisfied she was occupied, he quietly closed the door and sat on Natsu's bed, facing his flat mate and cousin. "Right, I'm moving in with the Shrimp so this place is all yours. And - keep quiet - I need you to look after this for me." He pulled out a small velvet box and handed it over. "Don't even tell Lucy."  
Natsu opened the box, letting out a low whistle at the ring nestled inside. "Scouts honour." He crossed his heart, and then tucked it in a drawer in his desk, hiding it under a stack of loose papers. "Luce doesn't go in this one - scared she'll upset my genius or something ridiculous." He winked at the raven haired man on his bed. "Don't you have to go pack or something? Get outta my room!"

* * *

Two days later, the boys apartment was officially just Natsu's, and Gajeel and Levy were staring at a pile of boxes in their living room.  
Over takeaway Thai they slowly sorted out what was staying, what was for donating and what was rubbish. By 1AM the house was back into some semblance or order, and Gajeel was sick of watching Levy yawn. Tossing her over his shoulder, he carried her to bed where they were both sound asleep before their heads hit the pillows.

Levy had discovered over the past few months that Gajeel had become a cuddler - the kind that curls around the other person and tangles limbs together. Usually, that was her favourite way to wake up, slowly and spending a few precious extra moments snuggled together, but this morning her alarm was very loudly reminding her that she had places to be, which meant getting up right now.  
Slowly, Levy extricated herself from Gajeel's embrace and stretched, shutting off her alarm. Smirking, she watched Lily curl up against Gajeel's warm chest as she quickly dressed, using her fingers to pull her hair into a messy bun. Dropping a quick kiss into his hair, Levy grabbed her phone and keys, slipping on her shoes as she shut the front door behind her.

She hummed as she walked, sending a quick text to Gajeel. Levy smiled as she walked in to the diner to start her morning shift. Dropping her jacket and keys in the office, she waved brightly at Laxus, who was only scowling slightly for a change, then, securing her name tag and apron, she walked onto the floor, coming to stand between Mira and Cana.  
"Ooh Blue, you look beat!" Cana slurred.  
Sticking her tongue out at the brunette, Levy retorted "At least I'm not still drunk!"  
Mira smiled as she passed a steaming cup of black coffee down the counter to Cana, before turning her attention on Levy. "Cana's right, sweetie, you look tired. Tired, but happy. What's the news?"  
Levy just shrugged, picking up a stack of menu's to distribute to the first customers of the day. "Gajeel moved in." She turned her attention to her customers, ignoring the squeals and whistles from behind her.

* * *

Gajeel awoke with a start, realizing he wasn't cuddling his blue haired girlfriend. Lily cracked open an eye at the sudden movement, before promptly going back to sleep.  
Scratching behind the fuzzy ears, Gajeel reached for his phone and read the message from Levy  
 _"Working the open at the cafe. Be home about 10. Feed Lily please! xxx"  
_ Checking the time, Gajeel groaned as he realized he'd only just missed her. Rubbing his face, he rolled out of the bed and set about putting the house back to rights.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm always flattered by the love you guys give this story, so THANK YOU!  
I have these events planned for this story, but it's going to be a slog to actually get to them, so I hope you're all prepared for lots more chapters?!  
PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! I only have one more chapter already written, and your reviews are my motivation to keep going. **


End file.
